Olivia's POV
Gabriel's question hung in the air, waiting for an answer. *What Max said in the car, about your feelings for my twin brother, is it true?*
I opened my mouth to answer but didn't know where to start. My brain scrambled through a dozen different lies and half-truth before I finally settled on something I never thought I'd choose: honesty.
Well, partial honesty anyway.
I took a deep breath and decided to be truthful. Sort of.
"Yes," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. I had to lean closer to make sure Gabriel could hear me while keeping Maxwell from eavesdropping. "I... I did have a crush on your brother. But it was just an office thing, you know? And Alex isn't with Harry & Associates anymore, so..."
I let the sentence trail off, hoping Gabriel would fill in the blanks himself rather than forcing me to elaborate on lies I was making up on the spot.
Gabriel's expression became filled with interest, and he leaned forward slightly. "Really? That's interesting. I've dropped by Harry & Associates a few times over the years to meet friends for lunch. I'm surprised I never ran into you."
My heart skipped a beat. *He'd been to my old office? How many times had I possibly seen him and mistaken him for Alex?*
"Oh, well," I said, trying to sound casual while my mind raced, "there are so many staff members there. It would've been impossible to single me out."
Gabriel's eyes softened, and he gave me a look that made my cheeks burn. "Olivia, you're not the kind of person who could go unnoticed. Trust me, if I'd come across you, I definitely would have remembered."
The compliment was so unexpected. I felt heat creeping up my neck and spreading across my face until I was sure I looked like a tomato. *Was he flirting with me? Actually flirting?*
"I..." I stammered, completely flustered. "Thank you. That's... that's very sweet."
Gabriel smiled at my obvious embarrassment, and I found myself wondering if I had seen him before. How many times had I walked past this man thinking he was Alex? How many opportunities for a normal, healthy human interaction had I missed because I was too busy pining after someone who was completely unavailable?
*The fact was almost too much to bear.*
"Do you still work there?" Gabriel asked, taking a sip of his beer. "Because I'd love to visit sometime. Maybe take you to lunch."
The color drained from my face so quickly I probably looked like I'd seen a ghost. *How could I possibly explain that particular situation?* If I said yes, he might actually show up at Harry & Associates looking for me. If I said no, he'd want to know where I currently worked, and I can never tell him the truth. He would think I'm a psychopath.
At this point, I genuinely wished I'd never left Harry & Associates. My life wouldn't have been nearly this complicated if I'd just stayed put and let Alex go.
"I'm... I'm actually on leave right now," I said, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. I kept my voice as low as possible, hoping Maxwell's superhuman hearing wouldn't pick up the details of my latest lie.
Gabriel nodded. "Oh, I see. Taking some time for yourself? That's smart. Work can be overwhelming."
*If only he knew just how overwhelming.*
"Can I ask you something?" I said, desperate to change the subject before he could ask any follow-up questions about my fictional leave of absence.
"Of course."
"Why is your last name Fisher while Alex's is Gregory? Are you half-brothers or...?"
Gabriel laughed, and the sound was so sweet that I felt some of my tension ease. "No, we're full brothers. Fisher is our mother's maiden name. My full name is actually Gabriel Fisher Gregory, same with Alex - Alexander Fisher Gregory. We just chose to go by different names professionally."
"Oh," I said, "That makes sense."
As we continued talking, I became aware that every time I glanced in Maxwell's direction - which I tried to do as rarely as possible - he was staring at me intently. Not pretending to check his phone or looking around the restaurant, but actually staring. And when I caught him doing it, instead of having the grace to look away like a normal person, he would hold my gaze with an intense expression that made my skin crawl.
It was unnerving and infuriating as well.
After the fifth or sixth time I caught him openly staring, I couldn't take it anymore.
"What is his deal?" I whispered to Gabriel, nodding subtly in Maxwell's direction.
Gabriel followed my gaze and sighed. "I'm so sorry about him, Olivia. I promise you, I will never make the mistake of bringing him on another date. Ever."
"Another date?" I asked, my heart doing a little flip at his words.
Gabriel's cheeks turned slightly pink. "I mean... if you'd be interested in another date. After this disaster, I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again."
Before I could respond - and honestly, I wasn't sure what I would have said - Gabriel suddenly stood up.
"Actually, you know what? Let's switch seats," he said, gesturing to the chairs Maxwell had vacated. "This way we can have our backs to him."
The suggestion was so brilliant that I could have kissed him.
We quickly moved to Maxwell's former seats, and for the first time all evening, I felt like I could actually breathe. With my back to Maxwell, I could finally think clearly.
"Much better," Gabriel said, settling into his new chair with a smile.
"So much better," I agreed, feeling my shoulders relax for the first time since I'd gotten in the car.
The waiter appeared just then with our meals. I'd completely forgotten that we'd ordered food during one of the awkward moments.
"Chicken marsala for the lady," the waiter said, placing a yummy dish in front of me, "and the salmon for the gentleman."
"Thank you," Gabriel and I said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.
It was such a normal, cute moment that I felt my guard dropping even further. Maybe this evening could be fun after all.
Gabriel raised his beer glass. "To surviving the most chaotic first date in history?"
I raised my water glass to meet his. "To surviving your best friend at the back."
"I'll drink to that."
As we clinked glasses, I noticed something I hadn't before - Gabriel was flirtatious. Really flirtatious. With Maxwell no longer sitting directly across from us, emitting disapproving and smug looks, Gabriel's personality seemed to completely transform.
"You know," he said, cutting into his salmon while maintaining eye contact with me, "when my mother told me about this date, I was expecting to spend the evening making polite conversation with someone I had nothing in common with."
"And instead?" I prompted, taking a bite of my chicken.
"Instead, I find myself sitting with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, trying to figure out how I got so lucky."
The compliment was so smooth that I nearly choked on my food. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?"
Gabriel's smile turned wicked. "Only when I'm in company of a gorgeous lady like you. It motivates me."
*Oh my God, he was actually flirting with me. Like, really flirting. And I was flirting back!*
"And what exactly is motivating you?" I asked, surprising myself with my boldness.
"Honestly? The way you blush when I compliment you. It's absolutely adorable."
Right on cue, I felt heat rushing to my cheeks again. "You're terrible."
"I'm just being honest," he said with a wink.
As we continued eating and talking, I found myself warming up to him. He was funny, intelligent, and had this raw, passionate energy that was completely different from Alex's more reserved demeanor. He laughed easily, and had this way of making me feel like I was the only person in the room.
*What would it be like to actually date him?* I wondered as he started on a hilarious story about a disastrous camping trip they'd taken with Maxwell the previous summer. *Would he be this charming all the time? Would he have the same gentle way of touching my hand when he was making a point?*
"...so there I am, standing in the middle of the woods in my underwear, covered in mud, screaming at Max for causing us to miss our way," Gabriel was saying, gesturing with his fork.
"What did Maxwell do?" I found myself asking, despite my hatred for the man in question.
"He took a picture and posted it on Instagram with the caption 'City boy meets nature.' I didn't speak to him for three days."
I burst out laughing, and Gabriel's face lit up at the sound.
"There it is," he said softly.
"There's what?"
"Your real laugh. Not the polite, nervous one you've been doing all evening. Your actual laugh."
I felt that constant heat in my cheeks again. "How do you know the difference?"
"Because," Gabriel said, leaning closer across the table, "I've been paying very close attention to everything about you since the moment you got in my car."
The intensity of his gaze made my heart race. We were having what could only be described as a moment - one of those electric, charged moments that made you forget where you were and what you were supposed to be doing.
Gabriel gently reached for my hand. "Olivia, I have to tell you something."
"What?" I whispered, completely lost in the moment.
"When I agreed to this blind date, I thought it would be a disaster. I figured I'd suffer through dinner, make polite conversation, and then spend the next week dodging my mother's questions about why I didn't call you."
"And now?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"Now I can't imagine letting you walk away tonight."
*Oh. Oh wow.*
Just as Gabriel's thumb started tracing gentle circles on the back of my hand, just as I was beginning to think that maybe the universe wasn't completely cruel after all, a familiar and thoroughly unwelcome voice cut through our intimate moment.
"Sorry to interrupt this touching scene, but we need to leave. Now."